1. Field of Invention
This invention applies to hinges and in particular reversible door hinges for vehicles.
2. Background of the Invention
Trucks and other vehicles may include a variety of doors such as tailgates, driver""s side doors, passenger side doors, third door, etc. In many cases, the angle at which the door may be opened away from the vehicle varies depending upon the type of opening. For example, a rearward swinging door or a third/fourth door on a pickup truck may open approximately 90 degrees to allow for the appropriate ingress and egress for the vehicle. With respect to a forward swinging passenger door, the door may open approximately 65 degrees.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,498 issued to Hipkiss et. al. discloses a lift-off type vehicle hinge and bracket with a stop formed integrally with the bracket. The stop of the ""498 patent operates to prevent the door from opening beyond a predetermined angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,866 issued to Waynick discloses a detent mechanism for a vehicle door for selectively maintaining a vehicle door in an open position at a predetermined angle. The detent mechanism is mounted to the door hinge by engaging the detent mechanism to the hinge pin of the door hinge. The detent mechanism includes a planar side surface which contacts both the stationary and pivotal components of the door hinge. The planar side surface contacts the stationary and pivotal components by a sufficient door closing effort. Accordingly, the invention disclosed in the ""866 patent allows a door to be opened at two different angles such that the door can be opened to a greater degree by applying sufficient door closing efforts.
However, the prior art does not allow the same hinge design to be used for two different types of doors such as, but not limited to, a standard forward swinging passenger door and a rearward swinging rear door for a pickup truck. Rather, the prior art generally requires different hinges for different openings to be tooled differently for each type of door opening. As a result, increased costs are incurred.
Consequently, a need has developed for a low-cost versatile door hinge which may be used for different types of door openings requiring different opening angles and swing directions.
This invention is a door hinge which includes a stamped, open section body component which is configured to accept a reversible stamped door component wherein the stamped door component may be used in two different orientations relative to the body component to allow for two different full open door angles and swing directions. This assembly is designed to facilitate a conventional forward swinging door arrangement including a compatible full open stop configured at a first predetermined angle in one assembly configuration and a rearward swinging door arrangement including a compatible full open stop configured at a second predetermined angle in a second assembly configuration.
The hinge of the present invention facilitates both the forward and rearward swinging door motion envelopes. The present invention achieves this objective by reversing the orientation of the door component of the hinge assembly relative to the body component of the hinge assembly. An integrated full open door stop is incorporated into the body component. The integrated full open door stop further includes non-parallel stop surfaces that abut the door component""s geometry in both the conventional and reversed configurations to give the desired opening angles. As a result, the present invention allows for different uses from the same components where a first predetermined full open angle may be achieved or a second predetermined full open angle may be achieved with different swing directions. Accordingly, there is significant tool cost savings, reduced piece cost, lower assembly capital and labor required.